Missy McIntyre has conquered Washington state.
Now she’s looking to go national.
The Oak Harbor High School senior, who’s headed to the University of Southern California on an athletic scholarship, is expected to add to her staggering list of accomplishments this weekend at the Class 4A State Swimming and Diving Championships at the King County Aquatics Center in Federal Way.
Preliminary races begin at noon today. The finals are Saturday.
After breaking a 22-year-old state high school record in the 100-yard breaststroke last year, McIntyre is within reach of the national prep mark. Her 2003 state-championship time of 1 minute, 2.39 seconds bettered the record set by Kathy Smith of Lake Washington in 1981 by better than half a second. Last weekend, McIntyre swam even faster, zooming to a 1:02.02 finish at the Western Conference North sectionals at Marysville-Pilchuck High School.
Given that the top swimmers at state tend to shave a few seconds off their season-best times, McIntyre appears capable of making a run at the national prep record of 1:00.41 set by Jessica Hardy of Woodrow Wilson High in Long Beach, Calif., last May.
“The way she swam at the district meet, that national record is within her reach,” Snohomish coach John Pringle said of McIntyre. “You’re talking about elite status at that point.”
The 100 breaststroke final will be the 11th of 12 events completed Saturday. McIntyre is the top seed coming into the meet. Her top time is nearly 3.5 seconds ahead of the No. 2 qualifier.
“We’re all excited to see her go for it,” Kamiak coach Chris Erickson said. “She’s a Wesco girl, so we’ll be pulling for her.”
McIntyre might be one of the top-five high school girls swimmers in state history, Erickson said. That puts her in the company of athletes who went on to win Olympic gold. “She’s right up there,” he said
Her talent could take her to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Pringle said.
“She is a high-quality athlete, she’s a big, strong girl (and) her technique is very nice,” Pringle said. “I’ve never seen her behind in a race. Most of these girls can’t compete with her (skill).”
In addition to the breaststroke, McIntyre is seeded first in the 50 freestyle with an automatic All-American time of 23.65. She is the two-time defending state champ in the event, and a three-time winner of the 100 breaststroke. She also anchors both of Oak Harbor’s state relay teams (200 medley and 200 freestyle).
While McIntyre clearly is the area’s individual headliner, Kamiak appears to be the Wesco’s best team. The Knights placed third last year and have the depth to finish near the top once more.
“We’d like to be in the top five again,” Erickson said.
Kamiak is seeded among the top six in all three relays: 200 freestyle (first, 1:42.66), 200 medley (third, 1:53.68) and 400 freestyle (sixth, 3:45.72).
“The big key is that, besides us, they’re the only other school in the meet with three legitimate relay teams,” Snohomish’s Pringle said. “They have the mixture of what I think it takes to win.”
Senior Rikka Brunner, a 2003 state champ in the 100 backstroke, leads Kamiak. She comes in seeded third in both the 100 backstroke (58.59) and the 200 individual medley (2:07.84).
“Rikka is a little ahead of last year, for sure,” Erickson said. “Going for the individual medley is a good move. Her (butterfly stroke) has improved so much that the IM will be a very good event for her.”
Kamiak diver Emily Martens is also one to watch. The senior placed third in the 1-meter event last year. Marysville-Pilchuck diver Brittany Berg, a senior who was fifth in 2003, could challenge, too.
Snohomish, which swam to its eighth consecutive Wesco North title last Saturday, is young but could still match its fifth-place finish of 2003. The Panthers have three top-10 caliber relays, including a second-seeded 200 freestyle squad, and field a strong core of talented but inexperienced sophomores (Kolby Nichol, Kelsey Randolf and Surya Manickam).
“They look pretty good,” Erickson said of the Panthers. “You always got to keep an eye out for that team.”
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